Coates meets Japanese Ambassador as focus falls on the athletes

AOC: The Japanese Ambassador to Australia, Mr Yoshitaka Akimoto, has met with AOC President John Coates in Sydney to congratulate him on his appointment as Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Mr Akimoto travelled from Canberra to the AOC HQ at Circular Quay within 24 hours of the announcement that Coates will Chair a 15-strong Commission which will assist the Tokyo Organising Committee.

“It is a great honour and great responsibility” Coates said.

Coates who was involved in the successful delivery of the Sydney 2000 Games, also worked on the Coordination Commission for London 2012 and is now involved with Rio 2016 as well as Tokyo 2020.

“This is an opportunity for me personally to give something back from what I have learned previously and in the case of Tokyo help the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japanese Government” he said. His focus will remain the athletes. “My emphasis has always been the athletes. You can’t go wrong if your start and finish point is what’s best for the athletes. If the Coordination Commission and the Tokyo Organising Committee remain focused on those elements a successful Games follows” Coates said.

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